


A sick kitten

by orphan_account



Series: Keeping Promises [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Cuddles, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Keith turns galra when he gets sick, Lance calls Keith kitten, Lance is the sweetest, Lance takes care of Keith, M/M, Sick Fic, Space Flu, White-Haired Keith (Voltron), so much cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-14 12:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13590045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Keith gets sick only his boyfriend can take care of him, but after a few weeks of acceptance he starts to fear the rejection of his teammates. Will Keith get caught? and is Lance the best fucking boyfriend ever? You'll see.





	1. Wake up coughing

Keith and Lance have been dating for a few weeks. Everything is going well. Keith is happy. He feels like he has a family for the first time in his life. He has a wonderful boyfriend. And even though no one can know that Lance is his fantastic, sweet, wonderful boyfriend, he is still happy with what he has. 

Keith still will randomly run out of a room, but a few minutes later Lane will join him. Everyone noticed the change. Hunk and Pidge teese Lance about it endlessly when Keith isn’t around. Shiro has tried to talk to Keith about it, but it usually ends up useless. Shiro gets nothing out of it but a grouchy closed off Keith. 

Every few nights Lance and Keith will curl up in bed together till morning. Lance sleeps very well because Keith is a cat. Lance’s little kitten will purr all night long. 

One morning Lance wakes up to the sound of coughing. 

^*^

Keith feels like shit. Everything feels horrible. His first thought is that he might have the flu. But you can’t get the flu in space, right? Keith brings his hand up to his ear, not wanting to open his eyes. He disappointedly draws his hand away, feeling the familiar silky fur of his galra ears. “Lance.” He croaked out. Then he started coughing. They are hard wet coughs. They burn his throat.

“Keith are you ok?” Lance asks sitting up. He moves to sit Keith up. 

“Don't.” He says before being broken off by a cough. “I-” Cough. “I think-” Another cough. “I’m sick.” 

“How? We’re in space, there are no germs out here that can affect humans.”

Keith’s coughing fit thankfully stops. “I am not human Lance. I probably got it from the last planet we visited.”

“Do you want me to get Coran?”

“No, look at me.” Keith coughed, he groaned and pulled the blanket to his chest.

“Ok. Is there anything I can do?”


	2. He would have prefered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the morning really started.

That's how Lance would have preferred the morning to go. Anything would have been better that what it was. Yes, Lance woke up to coughing. Bit in his own room in his bed. With Keith right next door. He heard the coughing and didn't question it. Someone was coughing, so? It's just coughing. Nothing life threatening. 

Lance got up like Normal. He expected to see everyone in the dining hall. Keith wasn't there, but who cares he was probably already on the training deck. 

“Is Keith up yet?” Lance asked the room full of people.

“I don't think so, I’ll check his room.” Shiro offered. And Lance, like an idiot, let him. 

^*^

Keith woke up to his gut churning. Everything hurt. He didn’t want to open his eyes. Suddenly he was shocked into consciousness and leaned over the side of the bed. He promptly puked onto the ground. 

Nothing felt normal. He clenched his stomach. His thick claws slowly digging in his skin. He opened his eyes. His room was so bright. Realisation hit him. 

He was sick. He was galra. And he was in space where he couldn’t take care of himself. He slowly made his way to the bathroom. Keith heard a very loud knock at the door. It probably wasn’t actually that loud, but it felt so loud. 

“Hey Keith you up?” Shiro’s voice rang through the door. 

Could he answer? Would Shiro come in? Keith ended up thinking it would be best to pretend not to be in his room until Lance came and found him. But then, he very loudly, threw up in the bathtub. 

“Keith are you ok?” Shiro called through. After a moment he said. “That's it Keith I’m coming in.”

“NO!” Keith yelled as the door of his bedroom opened. Thankfully he had closed his bathroom door. “You’ll get sick too. I don’t want you guys to get sick.”

Shiro still stood in the doorway. “I know you’ve always taken care of yourself, but we are in space now. You have six friends very willing to help you.”

“I’ll be fine Shiro. I’ll just take the day.” Keith called through the bathroom door. “Even if this is the worst cold I’ve ever had.” He muttered.

“What was that last bit?”

“Nothing!”

“Ok, well use the comms if you need anything.” And Shiro left. He closed the door behind him.

Keith found the courage to stand up. But then he immediately sat back down and threw up. 

The process repeated for about an hour, then Keith could actually stand up. And he did. And he started walking. And then he felt dizzy. Which is reasonable, if you have been throwing up for an hour. He bolted for the bed. 

He lay there, clinging the blankets around him tightly, cold. He told the room to turn down the lights. Keith didn’t know how long he lay there, but he guessed it had been about three hours. Because Hunk knocked on the door. 

“I brought you some soup Keith. Can I come in?” Keith could only manage a grown. He had tried to say no, get hunk to leave the soup outside the door, and get it when he had the strength. “Ok, I’m coming in.” Keith pulled the blanket over his head. It had been a reflex, he had been expecting a bright light. He couldn’t really think about social presurvation when he was this sick.

“Oof, buddy. Your blankets are all sweaty. Do you want me to get Coran to come check on you?” Hunk sat the bowl down on Keith’s side table.

“Could… could you get Lance?” Keith barely managed, his voice rough.

“Umm… I guess. I don't even think we have told him you’re sick.” _That explains it._ Keith thought, slightly irritated that his boyfriend wasn’t with him when he was feeling like death. _Aren’t boyfriends supposed to take care of each other when they are sick? That seems like a thing boyfriends would do._

Hunk left, and Keith tried to sit up and enjoy the soup his caring friend brought him.


	3. Lance to the rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is a very good boyfriend.

Hunk walked into the lounge where Lance sat. Or, not sitting. He was laying down with half of his legs going over the armrest. Lance was deeply entranced in a book. 

“Hey, Lance.” Hunk got no response.

“HEY, LANCE!” Hunk tried again. Lance’s book fell on his face. He quickly pushed it out of the way.

“Oh, sup dude.” 

“Keith is sick-”

“What!?”

“-and he wants to see you.” Lance quickly ran out of the room, tripping over the sofa on the way.

“Thanks for telling me Hunk, bye.” Lance said quickly to the figure back down the hallway.

“Uhhh, ok.” Hunk said. _Somebody definitely has a crush._ Hunk smiled at the thought. 

^*^

Lance knocked on Keith’s door. “Hey, Keith. It’s Lance, can I come in?” Lance heard a small whine come from inside. He opened the door.

Lance didn’t like what lay before him. There was a foul sick stench in the air. And the room was a cold humid. Blankets piled up on the bed, hiding the face beneath them. The blankets were wet with sweat. He closed the door behind him and turned on the light to the lowest setting. As he stepped inside the stench got worse, and the air stuck to his skin. “Hey Kitten, I’m going to take some of the blankets off you.” Lance told the lump. 

“But it's cold.” The lump complained.

“I know Kitten. It will be warmer with fresh blankets.” Lance told the lump as he began removing blankets. Lance found Keith’s Laundry shoot and began dropping each blanket one by one. Why did Keith even have all these blankets in his room in the first place? 

When all the blankets were removed Lance took a closer look at the pale lavender figure. The figure shivered. The now cooled sweat lining his body making him feel colder than before. Keith’s white hair stuck to his forehead. Keith’s ears looked fluffed up, and his eyes irritated, puffy, and crusted over. Keith’s tail was slowly rising with his breathing. Lance wanted to shower his kitten with kisses to make him better. He resolved with a bath. Keith clung to the mattress for dear life it seemed.

“Hey, Kitten.” Keith made a small humm but then started coughing. “I’m going to pore you a bath, I’ll be right back, ok?” Lance made off towards the bathroom. 

When he stepped into it, he regretted leaving Keith blanketless. It was going to take a bit to pore a bath for Keith. First he had to clean the tub. 

It was an unpleasant process to say the least. But Lance got it done without gagging, which was an accomplishment in his opinion. Fifteen minutes later he could start pouring the bathwater for Keith.

While the tub filled up Lance carried his shivering boyfriend to the bathroom. He helped Keith undress most of the way, a few bits of conversation sprinkled in. Lance brought in a change of warm pajamas, and left Keith to it. 

Then, Lance got to work cleaning the vomit off the floor. When that was done he changed the sheets on Keith’s bed. He went out of the room, and brought back many blankets, and a change of sheets. He dressed Keith’s bed with care, and style. He took the half eaten bowl of soup back to the kitchen. Bringing back to the room a tall pitcher of water and a cup. 

At this point Keith came out of the bathroom. He was wearing the pajamas and looked a lot better. Except for his hair. It was still quite wet. Lance guided Keith over to the bed, a towel in arms. Lance quickly got to work drying the boy’s fluffy white hair, every few fluffle giving it a good brush, so it didn’t get knotted. But the brush never seemed to be needed, it just went smoothly through, Lance thought that Keith’s hair was long enough to get knotted when towel dried. _Maybe it’s the galra genes,_ Lance thought. _Cats don't get knots in their fur. It’s always so silky and soft._

Lance started petting Keith’s hair. “All done.” Lance said, but he kept petting the white locks of hair. Keith began to purr, but was cut off by a sharp wet cough.


	4. Under the blankets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continually has to hide under the blankets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's just great? Getting a cold right after you start writing a sick fic...  
> ^*^  
> Also shout out to my friend who said that she blushes when Lance calles Keith kitten. I just thought it was cute nick name. (To said friend: You know who you are. Please don't kill me for this. Also you haven't texted me since monday and I am highly offended. I am sick, talk to me.)

_Keith began to purr, but was cut off by a sharp wet cough._

“Uh oh.” Lance said. “You wanna lay down now?”

Keith nodded. “I feel like shiiit.” Keith mumbled. 

Lance poured him a glass of water, and tucked him in. “Use the comm by your bed if you need me.” 

“There's a comm by the bed?” Keith asked. 

“Yeah, on the side of the bed near the pillow.” Lance answered as he turned off the lights.

“And Lance,” Lance hummed a quiriying humm. “Thank you.”

“No problem Kitten.” And Lance left Keith to sleep. And Cough, but mostly sleep luckily. 

^*^

There was a sharp knock at Keiths door that cut through his dreams. Keith moaned and pulled the blanket over his head to block out the sound. A brightness came into his room with the sound of a door opening. “Hey buddy, it's dinner time. I got you more soup.” It was Hunk. Keith was shocked into awakeness at the voice.

Keith pushed the blanket further over his head and groaned.. “I’ll just leave it in the kitchen for you. Come and get it when you wake up a bit more. I’ll be in there, so I’ll make sure it’s still warm.”

“Uh Huh.” Keith agreed. His voice was hoarse, and his mouth tasted terrible. 

“Hope you feel better.” Hunk said as he left.

^*^

 

Keith was willing himself up to call for Lance. He removed the blanket from over his head. He slowly sat up. There was another knock at his door. It was softer this time. “Who is it?” Keith rasped out. 

“It’s Pidge, can I come in?”

Keith threw a sheet over his head, and layed back down. “I guess.” Pidge came in, and sat down on Keith’s bed. “No, no, no. Don't sit down, or touch _anything_. You could get sick.” 

“Ok.” Pidge said slowly as she stood up.

“What do you want Pidge?” Keith asked, still under the covers.

“Just wanted to see how you were feeling. Hunk made you soup. It's really good. Also I brought you some medicine.”

“Can you just-” Keith coughed hard, making the sheet resetle around his head. “Leave the medicine next to the water pitcher?”

“Sure.” Pidge glanced and the lumps under the blanket. She started laughing. 

“What’s- What's so funny?”

“The way the-” It was hard for Pidge to communicate through her laughing. “The way-” Pidge tried again. “The way the blanket fell-” Pidge gripped at her sides. “It makes it look like you have cat ears.” 

Keith started coughing hard. “You-” The cough burned his throat. “You should leave, before you get what I have.” 

Pidge hummed happily, still wound up from laughing. “Yeah, hope you feel better soon Keith.” And then she left. Keith took a moment to stop coughing. He slowly sat up again. 

The blanket fell off his face and keith slowly rubbed his eyes. He slowly took his pills, and drank two cups of water. He pressed the comms on the side of his bed. “Hey Lance?” He asked.

A few seconds later Lance responded. “What do you need Kitten?” Followed by the quieter sound of Hunk’s voice. “Why did you call Keith ‘Kitten’?” 

“Shut it Hunk.” Lance groaned. “What do you need, tho?”

“Lance, would you _please_ bring me some soup?”

“Sure thing.” Lance told him.

“Why didn’t you just ask me to do it?” Hunk asked. 

“I want to talk to him. I’m bored.” Keith told him.


	5. Omission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How about… I tell everyone that only I can come in here because your my boyfriend and a purple space cat?

Keith heard Lance knock briefly before entering the room. “Hey Kitten.”

“Hi.” Keith groaned. 

“I brought some board games along with the soup.” Lance said in a soothing voice, closing the door behind him.

“Your the best boyfriend ever, you know that?” Keith spoke with his clogged nose. 

Lance chucked a little. “Yeah, I guess I am. Here eat up.” Lance handed him the soup.

“You know I wasn’t actually bored by the way. I just wanted to see you, and other people keep coming in.” 

“Shit. How do we keep everyone from coming in here”

“I don't know. Quarantine me? Set it up so only you can come in here because you’ve been exposed?” Keith suggested.

“How about… I tell everyone that only I can come in here because your my boyfriend and a purple space cat?” Lance teesed.

“Fuck you.” 

“I love you too Kitten.” Lance reached over to Keith and scratched behind his fluffy ears.

“I’m tired.” Keith said as he started purring.

“Ok. You had a good idea going, I could say that you don't want anyone else to get it, and I’ve already been with you more than everyone else, so I am the only one that come in here.”

“I mean, it's not technically lying.” Keith imputed. 

“Kitten, lying by omission is still lying.”

“So? I’ve been doing it for years.” 

“Yeah I guess. Wanna play a board game?”

“Sure.”

They played different board games until Keith fell asleep in the middle of an altean version of battleships. Lance cleaned up all the bits and pieces, and tucked Keith into bed. And then Lance headed to talk to the rest of the team.


	6. I will shank you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Pidge threatens to shank Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy. Its my birthday! 
> 
> Happy valentines day everyone!

Lance walked into the lounge to see everyone but Keith, just reading. It was an odd sight. Everyone had a book. “Here's the dealio fam,-” Lance started.

He was cut off my Pidge yelling, “NEVER FUCKING SAY THAT EVER AGAIN OR I WILL FUCKING SHANK YOU!” Then after a few moments of everyone gaping at her, Hunk kindly said, “Please, Lance, continue.”

“First off, Pidge, rude, but fair, that was probably the worst sentence I have EVER said. Second, Keith doesn’t want anyone else going in his room.”

“Why ever not?” Allura asked.

“Because he is super sick, and I’ve already been contaminated the most, so I’ll bring him food and water and stuff.” Lance said spinning his hands. 

“Cool, but is there any _other_ reason for you to be the one to take care of him?” Pidge teased.

“Nope, none at all.” Lance brushed him off with confidence. 

“Ok, we will steer clear of his room then.” Allura said as everyone looked back to their books. 

Lance was about to leave the room when he remembered. “Why are you all reading?”

Everyone started talking over each other, telling slightly different stories.


	7. Book thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snip that ends on a cliff hanger. 
> 
> [I am not sorry.]

Turns out, the book thing was nothing special. Lance just happened to be taking care of Keith when Pidge started a chain of events of them starting a reading competition? Lance didn't quite understand, because it was a long and convoluted story. 

^*^

For a few days everything went to plan. No one but Lance ever went to Keith’s room. Keith relaxed when there was a knock at the door. Keith started recovering from whatever space illness he had. Lance was taking care of Keith like the amazing, overdramatic, charming, and sweet boyfriend he was. In Keith’s eyes Lance was the best boyfriend in existence for taking care of his alien boyfriend. Lance even knitted a red hat for his boyfriend, with little cat ears. 

Slowly Lance started having the lights on brighter. Lance kept Keith’s room in order. Keeping a stack of board games neatly in the corner of the room. Keeping the water pitcher full. And making sure Keith didn't get to sweety. Keiths fever had passed. 

So one day, when Keith was walking back to his bed from the bathroom and there was a knock at the door, Keith told the person to come in. It was not Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point I have the rest of this book done, and I am going to post one chapter a day. The next story in the series is a short, only about 100 words. I finished that, and I will post it after all the remaining chapters have been posted. Now I am starting the 5th story. Just so you know what you have to look forward to.


	8. Scared again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't Lance

It was Shiro. Keith had been wearing the hat Lance had made for him, his siluet still looked human. Keith still had the lights dimmed quite a bit from the nap he had just been taking. So all Shiro saw was a darkly colored Keith with a hat on quickly slap the pillow that was under his head over his face.

“Shiro, you aren’t supposed to be in here!” Keith practically screamed with his nasally voice through the pillow. 

“I thought I would come see you. How are you feeling? Also… why did you have a pillow on your face?”

“I don't want you to catch this. I am fine, go away before you get sick!” 

“Ok, see you when you get better?” Shiro asked slowly.

“What else would happen? There is 7 of us in SPACE!”

“Yeah, that.” Shiro said, leaving Keith alone in the darkness. 

^*^

The next time Lance went into Keiths room he saw a shaking figure clinging to itself in  
the dark.

“Keith? You ok?” Lance asked the figure. Keiths hat had slipped off and his white hair was knotted and tangled. Lance turned on the light and walked towards Keith on the bed. “I brought soup.”

When Lance had sat down Keith clung to him. Lance’s shirt was quickly moistened by Keiths tears. Lance knew exactly what to do. He started petting Keiths hair, slowly getting the tangles out. “It's going to be alright Keith.” Lance said in a soothing voice. Keith clung tighter and Lance repeated “It's going to be alright.” He kept saying this until Keith had calmed down quite a bit. 

“So what happened?” Lance asked the no longer shaking Keith.

“Shiro came into the room.”

“Did he see you?” 

“Not really… I just realised that…”

“What did you realise Kitten?” Lance asked squeezing Keith tight.

“How much I _really_ don't want to lose you guys. And how terrified I am of being left.” Keith started off slow. “I really don't want to leave. This is the first home I’ve ever had, and I love you guys so much. But I am so incredibly scared that I’ll get left again. And I desperately don't want to hurt anyone.” Keith said quickly resolving to crying again.

“Hey, hey. Don't cry.” Lance stroked Keiths hair and pressed a kiss into his forehead. “No one is leaving you. I won't let anyone make you leave. I’ll always protect you.” 

“How about I sleep in here tonight, you’ve stopped coughing for the most part.” Keith nodded against Lance’s chest. Keith clung to Lance still. He slowly stopped crying and they drifted to sleep hugging each other tightly in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, here's the deal. I have 6 chapters of this series ready to post. I can either A) Post one a day, and a have a mostly consistent schedule about it. Or B) Post them all now and Post whenever I finish a chapter. This means sometimes I could post twice a day or not at all. 
> 
> Please tell me what you'd prefer, because it's kind of stressing me out a bit. 
> 
> Have a nice day,  
> -Clover


	9. The nightmare

Lance woke up to a desperate frantic plea of “No, no! Please! No!” It was Keith. Lance shook Keith’s shoulder, and whispered in his ear.

“Kitten it's a dream I’m right here… Say here with me.” Keith didn’t wake up. He just turned around and gripped Lance tightly, still slightly shaking. Lance started brushing his fingers through the white hair. Slowly calming the sleeping boy. 

As Keith calmed Lance noticed something. Keith was human. “I guess you got over your cold.” He said.


	10. My little Kitten is human again.

Keith sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Keith’s bangs fell in his eyes as he shook awake the sleeping boy next to him. Lance groaned and looked up at the boy towering over him a split second before jolting up and smaking heads with him.

“Ow.” They both clutched their foreheads. 

“Heyyy.” Lance grinned. “My little Kitten is _human_ again.” 

Keith blushed and tucked his hair behind his ears. “Yeah, all better.”

“What time is it?” Lance asked rubbing his eyes.

Keith looked over to his side table and picked up the clock. “7:06.” 

“You’re all better, you wanna go to breakfast?” 

“Sure, I haven’t seen Allura or Coran in a week.”

“Geeze, that long.”

“Yeah, all had was stupid old you for company, and terrifying visits from other people.”

Lance cooed. “Oh, you know you love me.”

“Yeah. I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment. I really makes my day.  
> My tumblr: https://midnight-birch.tumblr.com  
> (Please don't message me tho, but you can send me asks)  
> <3


End file.
